The Future Of Power, Three Questions Asked And Answers Given

The United States is known for being the leader among many things. One such example is our countrys ranking in possessing the leading number of power-producing companies in the world. What does this mean exactly? While most cling to the fact that this puts us in top standing for the economical side of the equation, others worry what potential this can have on the other power suppliers of the world and what unforeseen consequences lie in wait for a country that puts too many of their eggs in the nuclear power basket.
What does the future of power look like?
The future of power will have a much greener landscape. Right now were on the cusp of many groundbreaking alternatives to traditional energy creation like coal, hydro and nuclear energy. Many of these supply sources come with adverse effects to the atmosphere and human life. From the chemical fallout potential of nuclear power plants to the pollutants that are released into the air through a coal plant.
The future of energy creation sees things like solar power making more of an impact on the scene. Right now, power harnessed from solar sources accounts for less than 1% of the total power in the US, a number that industry experts hope to see grow in the coming years as improvements in technology make solar energy more efficient and easier to come by.
What other advancements are being made?
Other areas in the power world are also receiving increased attention as more and more scientific breakthroughs are made. One such example is in the area of fuel cells. Automotive companies are going to be a major player when it comes to funding for improvements in these fuel cells. Hydrogen cells are the most promising of the bunch right now. With the potential to turn abundant hydrogen into harnessable energy, the environmental implications of such advancements are astounding. So far, Honda has been the only company to begin to invest in the technology with the release of its scooter that uses fuel cell technology.
What does the future look like for energy prices?
In the last five years, electricity bills in the Unites States have been steadily climbing. Back in 2008 the average household paid only about $1100 a year in power bills. That number has gone up by nearly $300 in the last five years with typical annuals bills coming in at about $1,419. If trends stay the same, Americans can expect this number to continue to grow. Hawaii has traditionally been the most expensive of states to power with kilowatt prices being about 28 cents. Subsequently, Idaho enjoys the lowest rates with only about 8 cents a kilowatt.
Experts predict much of the same for the prices of oil in the future. Currently, the American economy is enjoying some relatively low prices when it comes to fueling our cars but come 2015, most agree that all that will change as store levels and some oil operations become depleted.